Surveillance system foils burglary attempt

A Northeast homeowner with a surveillance system and a smartphone foiled a car full of burglars last Friday afternoon and he wasn’t even at home at the time.

According to Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum of Northeast Detectives, the victim was at work at about 1 p.m. when he received a text message on his phone that someone was breaking into his home on the 7700 block of Revere St.

Using a phone app and his well-placed surveillance cameras, the victim was able to watch the crooks as they rummaged through the home for jewelry, cash and electronics. He called 911 and gave the operator a play-by-play until police arrived at the scene.

One officer saw one of the suspects fleeing the house with a TV and entering a Nissan Xterra. Additional cops followed the SUV until it crashed into a parked car. The four occupants bailed out, but officers captured them. Two men and a woman were charged criminally. The fourth occupant was a juvenile male. Their identities have not been disclosed.

Police recovered about $15,000 worth of property stolen from the home, including jewelry, cash, an iPad and the TV. ••